Container Cargo Transfer System

ABSTRACT

A platform container transfer terminal ( 10 ) functions as an efficient hub port. Sea Point™ Transfer station modules ( 21, 22, 23 ) can be moved intact across oceans for rapid erection in remote or strategic locations to provide high speed loading and unloading of large container vessels ( 31, 32 ) to lighters or feeder vessels ( 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 ) and/or to facilities adjacent. A gantry crane ( 510 ) combined with one or more rotating boom cranes ( 11, 12, 17, 18 ) increases cargo productivity economically. There can be two luffing boom cranes attached to the gantry and two slewing boom cranes attached to the gantry. One can retrofit an existing gantry by attaching a boom crane and frame to a ship-to-shore gantry.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/794,225,filed 4 Jun. 2010 (issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,534 on 21 Feb. 2012),which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/015,915,filed 17 Jan. 2008, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/617,366, filed 10 Jul. 2003, nowabandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/735,343, filed Dec. 11, 2000, now abandoned, and of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/016,169, filed 30 Nov. 2001, nowabandoned. Each of these applications are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/170,270, filed 11 Dec.1999, is incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/735,343, filed Dec. 11, 2000, isincorporated herein by reference, as is the published version of thatpatent application.

International Patent Application No. PCT/US00/33568, filed Dec. 11,2000, is incorporated herein by reference, as is the published version(Int. Pub. No. WO 01/42125) of that patent application.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/016,169, filed 30 Nov. 2001, isincorporated herein by reference, as is the published version of thatpatent application.

International Patent Application No. PCT/US01/48090, filed 30 Nov. 2001,is incorporated herein by reference, as is the published version (Int.Pub. No. WO 02/044073) of that patent application.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/310,593, filed 7 Aug.2001, is incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/270,334, filed 21 Feb.2001, is incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/250,053, filed 30 Nov.2000, is incorporated herein by reference.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/394,988, filed 10 Jul.2002, is incorporated herein by reference.

Priority of these patent applications is hereby claimed and they are allincorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cargo transfer systems. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to systems for transferringcargo between ocean-going vessels and land destinations or ocean-goingvessels and barges or between ocean-going vessels, barges, and landsideterminals, and including direct transfer from barges to rail withoutstoring the goods landside.

2. General Background of the Invention

At present large container vessels provide economies of scale bycarrying very large numbers of intermodal containers and containerderivative devices such as flat racks and open tops containers. Suchlarge ships today carry more than 6000 twenty foot equivalent units(TEU) and still larger ocean-going vessels are foreseen. The containerscarried by these large vessels are generated by several regional portsspread geographically over areas such as South East Asia, UK/NorthEurope or a US coastal region. This requires the large vessel to eithermake multiple port calls, some times once to discharge and later todouble back to load, or by using a port in the region as a hub portwhere the large vessel proceeds to a landside terminal, from whichcontainers are both landed for local distribution and transshipped tofeeder vessels or barges and/or to trucks or rail cars, for distributionto other port destinations. The terminal operation required at landsidehub ports is extensive and costly involving trucking from quay tostorage in stacks and load out in a reverse operation at later dates toon carrying vessels.

Typically, import containers discharged from a large carrier vessel at alandside terminal are hauled from the dock side to stacked storage onthe back side of the terminal or placed on wheeled chassis and parkedfor later haul back to cranes for loading to feeder vessels or to railcars at distant sidings or transferred to trucks for delivery to otherports or inland locations.

Outbound containers are received at a landside terminal from railsidings, often at remote locations or from drays and long haul trucks orfeeder vessels and assembled on the backside of the terminal awaitingthe arrival and readiness of the large carrier to load. Hundreds ofacres of land are required for such operations in addition to theseveral handling operations involved.

The critical matter of road and rail infrastructure required forlandside terminals to accommodate large vessels can take decades todevelop and billions of dollars in cost. Environmental issues may alsointervene. In Vietnam, a jack-up causeway was used to unload containersfrom ships. The causeway was used as a dock where trucks took thecontainers as they were unloaded and hauled away.

The Freeport Sulphur mine is a series of jack-up barges strung together.

Cranes for transferring containers from ships include gantry cranes andboom cranes.

The following patents documents are incorporated herein by reference:

U.S. Pat. Nos. 969,164; 1,193,587; 1,237,573; 1,346,068; 1,547,536;2,308,743; 3,149,733; 3,183,676; 3,290,007; 3,367,119; 3,586,152;3,606,251; 3,750,210; 3,945,450; 3,958,106; 3,967,457; 4,310,277;4,363,411; 4,417,664; 4,456,404; 4,465,012; 4,482,272; 4,505,616;4,544,137; 4,547,857; 4,568,232; 4,589,799; 4,627,768; 4,632,622;4,652,177; 4,666,341; 4,678,165; 4,722,640; 4,762,456; 4,813,814;4,916,999; 5,028,194; 5,139,366; 5,224,798; 5,456,560; 5,478,181;5,515,982; 5,580,189; 5,733,092; 5,797,703; 5,807,029; DE 455 495; DE 1079 299; DE 25 43 156; FR 588,542; GB 17,349; and all patent documentsmentioned herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,456 discloses a cargo container loading andunloading operation where a floating crane is used to transfercontainers between deep draft ships and shallow draft ships.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,411 (see col. 3, lines 44-53) discloses aloading/unloading crane system that is placed between the ocean and alagoon to handle deep draft and shallow draft ships at the same time.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,012 discloses a floating crane transhipment deviceto accommodate movement of cargo between ships and barges.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,232 discloses a floating horizontal boom bulkunloader that allows shallow draft ships to be loaded and unloaded froma deep draft ship.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,310,277; 4,457,85; 4,544,137; 4,632,622; and 5,028,194disclose cargo transfer systems supported on open sea platforms with oneor more cranes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a platform containertransfer terminal that functions as an efficient hub port. Sea Point™Terminal modules can be constructed to move intact across oceans forrapid erection in remote or strategic locations to provide high speedloading and unloading of large container vessels to lighters or feedervessels and/or to/and facilities adjacent.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a container offloadingfacility made of jack-up barges. There can be, for example, four jack-upbarges, each barge from 100 feet (30.5 m) to 700 feet (213.4 m) (e.g.,450 feet (137.2 m)) long and 25 feet (7.62 m) to 250 feet (76.2 m)(e.g., 100 feet (30.5 m)) wide, in an ocean-going hull design, with e.g.a 20 foot (6.1 m) hull depth, and placed end-to-end to provide aplatform (e.g. 1800 feet (548.6 m) long). There can be multiple (forexample, 4) cranes per platform. The facility could advantageously beplaced at the mouth of a river (such as at the mouth of the MississippiRiver) to provide a sea coast or near sea coast transfer port for largevessels.

The container cranes used with the facility of the present invention caninclude a boom on the backside which is much longer than a conventionalbackside boom on a land terminal. This facilitates loading the feedervessels or barges while at the same time offloading the ocean-goingcontainer or cargo ships (and vice versa).

The present invention also comprises a method of transporting goods,comprising using a jack-up barge to transfer goods from an ocean-goingvessel to a barge or other shallower-draft feeder vessel.

The present invention also comprises a method of transporting goods,comprising using a pile-supported platform deck on which cranes operateto transfer goods from an ocean-going vessel to a barge or other typefeeder vessels.

The present invention can be constructed as a floating mobile terminalor as a fixed terminal on pile or material foundation. The Sea Point™platform concept consists of a platform structure erected in asemi-sheltered location such as at the mouth of a river, bay, sound orinlet with sufficient water depth, natural or dredged, to accommodateocean-going vessels on one side and feeder vessels or barges on theopposite side. The platform may be constructed on pilings in the mannerof a pile-supported dock, as an artificial island built up of material,or as floating modules with spud legs which can be towed intact toremote transoceanic locations and combined for rapid jack-up assembly asone platform made from multiple modules at the chosen site. Floatingmodules with jack-up supporting legs that can be embedded in the solidbottom material allows almost immediate erection of the platform to itsdesired height ready to accommodate container transfers between largecarriers on one side and feeder vessels or barges on the opposite side.Towable jack-up platform modules are particularly attractive formilitary rapid deployment needs and could be a valuable element of U.S.prepositioned forces or reserve fleet components.

The platform (FIG. 1) serves as the base for container handling cranesone version of which has been designed to have an extreme reach on thelarge vessel side as well as on the feeder side so that even apostpanamax vessel (over 105 feet (32 m) wide) up to 200 feet (61 m)wide can be loaded or discharged by the container crane boom on thelarge vessel side to or from barges or feeders docked two or more (e.g.,four) wide up to +200 feet (61 m) off the feeder vessel side. Thesecontainer cranes using state-of-the-art hoisting speed at liftingcapacity and with high horizontal travel speeds can, in one transfercycle, lift two or more loaded containers at a time and rapidly transferthem to or from stowed positions on the feeders. Feeder vessels orbarges being shorter and less wide and deep than large containercarriers can be berthed on the platform side opposite the larger vesselsin multiple sets (FIG. 2) so that distribution to multiple destinationscan be served quickly by loading some feeders with specifically destinedcontainers and dispersing them immediately upon completion of discharge.Simultaneously, outbound cargo would be brought to Sea Point™ byseparate feeder vessels or barges and placed along side the platformfeeder side to be transferred to the large vessel as soon as the loadedfeeders are taken away from the dock.

During loading or discharge at a Sea Point™ transfer platform, outportdestined containers may be landed to transfer cars stationed under thecrane legs on designated road ways that may run in opposite directionsin order to distribute such containers to other cranes serving feedersfor their destinations (FIGS. 3 and 4). This would be accomplished byvehicles (for example, light tractors) hauling these containers (e.g.,on cars or chassis) to those cranes loading the desired feeders,reducing the necessity for stacking or grounding containers on theplatform during cargo operations. The container crane can also bedesigned to have two separate cabs with traveling trolleys that moveoutward from a center raised platform located between the legs of thecrane; this provides rapid transfer from each side that will speed upthe loading and discharge cycles substantially (FIGS. 3 and 4).

A pile-supported platform or a platform on a built-up material (spoil orotherwise) island can be used as the foundation for the transferplatform of the present invention, which in cases where mobility is ofno value, would be a cheaper mode of construction.

Other configurations of transfer cranes have certain advantages wherealternative container cells on the large vessels and/or the feedervessels are served by special crane arrangements as shown, for example,in FIGS. 5-8.

The delivery to various Port terminals by feeder barges or feedervessels permits each port terminal to be designed to discharge the lesscostly unmanned vessel units, direct to rail car and truck lanes locatedalong the dockside within the reach of port cranes' terminal side.Extended landside booms on port cranes can accomplish this efficientlyand provide added opportunity by placing containers directly on stacksin the terminal yard saving costly terminal handlings and reducingsignificantly the acreage required for each container terminal. The SeaPoint™ platform can also be placed so as to provide offloading fromlarge vessels to feeders and to adjacent terminal docks by locating theplatform in water at a distance of about 100 feet (30.5 m) from the landterminal thus allowing one or more (e.g., two) feeder vessels to beberthed between the Sea Point™ platform and land terminal. The long(e.g., 200 foot (61 m)) reach of the crane's booms on each side of theplatform would allow transfers between the land terminal, feeder vesselsand the large vessel as desired.

The critical matter of road and rail infrastructure required forlandside terminals to accommodate large vessels can take decades todevelop and billions of dollars in cost. Environmental issues may alsointervene. In contrast a Sea Point™ transfer platform can be fabricatedfor erection in appropriate water depth locations in less than two yearstime and its size is unlimited. Ideally, Sea Point™ platforms can alsobe phased in to provide an initial length and width to handle, forinstance, the next half decade of expected use and then expanded to anygreater length or width when required.

The present invention comprises a method of transporting goods,comprising:

providing a jack-up barge;

providing a crane on the jack-up barge;

transferring goods from an ocean-going vessel to a barge or othershallower-draft feeder vessel using the crane on the jack-up barge.Preferably, the jack-up barge is positioned at the mouth of a river.

The present invention also comprises a system for transshippingcontainerized cargo, comprising:

a jack-up barge;

a crane on the jack-up barge for transferring goods from an ocean-goingvessel to a barge or other shallower-draft feeder vessel using the craneon the jack-up barge.

The present invention further comprises a system for transshippingcontainerized cargo, comprising:

a plurality of jack-up barges connected together end-to-end to form atransshipping platform;

cranes on the jack-up barges for transferring goods from ocean-goingvessels to barges or other shallower-draft feeder vessels using thecranes on the jack-up barges. Preferably, the jack-up barges are eachabout 450 feet (137.2 m) long and about 100 feet (30.5 m) wide, withabout a 20 foot (6.1 m) hull depth and an ocean-going hull design.Preferably, there are at least four cranes. Preferably, there is also anupper transfer platform above the transshipping platform. Preferably,there are also cargo transfer roadways on the transshipping platform.

The platform is preferably at least 100-200 feet (30.5-61 m) long, morepreferably at least 300 feet (91.4 m) long, even more preferably atleast 400 feet (121.9 m) long, and most preferably at least 500 feet(152.4 m) long; the platform is preferably 20-1000 feet (6.1 m-305 m)wide, more preferably 40-500 feet (12.2 m-152.4 m) wide, and mostpreferably 60-200 feet (18.3-61 m) wide.

The present invention also comprises a gantry having one or more boomcranes.

The ability for a port to enhance all of its cargo vessel operations andparticularly feeder and rail-on-dock operations by fitting existing ornew ship-to-shore gantries with a boom crane is the primary benefit ofthe invention. The attached cranes can be considered a movable accessorythereby allowing the terminal operator to change the configuration ofthe gantry to optimize his cranes for different cargo operations,including containers, bulk, palletized and break bulk cargo.

The gantries of the present invention with boom cranes attached theretohave utility, for example, in terminals operating as transfer hubs forwater-borne vessels, working from the transfer rack and the barges orsmall feeder ships on the back side of the platform or pier and largerships on the ship side of the platform or pier.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is apparatus including agantry, a gantry crane attached to the gantry, and at least one rotatingboom crane attached to the gantry. There can be at least two rotatingboom cranes attached to the gantry. There is preferably at least oneboom crane attached to the ship side of the gantry. There can be atleast one boom crane attached to the back side of the gantry.

In one embodiment of the invention, there are three rotating boom cranesattached to the gantry. In one embodiment of the invention, there arefour rotating boom cranes attached to the gantry. At least one of theboom cranes can be a rotating horizontal slewing boom crane

The gantry can be a ship-to-shore gantry. A boom crane and frame can beattached to the ship-to-shore gantry.

The apparatus of the present invention can include a boom crane, a framefor supporting the boom crane, and means for attaching the frame to aship-to-shore gantry.

The boom crane in any embodiment could be a slewing boom crane attachedto the gantry, or a luffing boom crane attached to the gantry.

In some embodiments, there can be at least one luffing boom craneattached to the gantry and at least one slewing boom crane attached tothe gantry. In other embodiments, there can be two luffing boom cranesattached to the gantry and two slewing boom cranes attached to thegantry.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a platform containertransfer terminal that functions as an efficient hub port.

More information about the invention can be found in the papers attachedto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/394,988, filed 10 Jul.2002.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages ofthe present invention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, read in conjunction with the following drawings, whereinlike reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages ofthe present invention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, read in conjunction with the following drawings, whereinlike reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the first embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the second embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a third embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the third embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing two gantries of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view showing a gantry of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a gantry of the present invention withtwo attached boom cranes;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view showing another embodiment of thepresent invention, a boom crane and frame attached to a new or existingship-to-shore gantry;

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the gantry and boom cranes of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view showing the gantry and boom cranesof FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14, but showing an embodiment of theinvention including a rope luffing jib crane;

FIG. 16 is a plan view showing the gantry and boom cranes of FIG. 12adjacent barges; and

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the gantry of FIG. 12 adjacent barges,but with a single attached boom crane;

FIG. 18 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is an elevation of the embodiment of the present invention shownin FIG. 18;

drawings of some embodiments of the present invention are shown in thepapers (incorporated herein by reference) attached to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/394,988, filed 10 Jul. 2002.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Sea Point™ platform apparatus 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the firstembodiment of the present invention comprises a platform structure 20erected in a semi-sheltered location such as at the mouth of a river,bay, sound or inlet with sufficient water depth, natural or dredged, toaccommodate ocean going vessels 31, 32 on one side and feeder vessels orbarges 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 on the opposite side. For example, theplatform apparatus of the present invention can be installed in theMississippi River near Venice, LA, US, adjacent the West bank at mile12.2 above head of passes.

Platform apparatus 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is similar to platform apparatus100 (FIGS. 3 and 4) but lacks upper transfer platform 65 and the doubletrolley system of platform apparatus 100. Both platform apparatus 10 andplatform apparatus 100 include a helicopter pad (heliport) 75 at one endthereof.

The platform 20 may be constructed on pilings in the manner of apile-supported dock or as modules 21, 22, 23 with spud legs 24 which canbe towed, floating, intact to remote transoceanic locations for rapidjack-up assembly as one terminal made from multiple modules 21, 22, 23at the chosen site. Floating modules 21, 22, 23 with jack-up supportinglegs 24 that can be embedded in the solid bottom material allow almostimmediate erection of the platform 20 to its desired height ready toaccommodate container transfers between large carriers 31, 32 on oneside and feeder vessels or barges 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 on the oppositeside. Towable jack-up platform modules 21, 22, 23 are particularlyattractive for military rapid deployment needs and could be a valuableelement of U.S. prepositioned forces or reserve fleet components. Asshown in the drawings, the platform 20 is set out an appropriate heightabove the water line 81 of water 80, with spud legs 24 extending belowthe mud line 91 and through mud 90. The platform 20 (FIG. 1) serves asthe base for container handling cranes 51, 52, 53, 54 that can bedesigned to have an extreme reach on the large vessel side as well as onthe feeder side so that a panamax vessel 31 105 feet (32 m) wide, or apostpanamax vessel 32 up to 200 feet (61 m) wide can be loaded ordischarged by the container boom on the large vessel side to or fromfeeders 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 docked two or more wide up to about 200 feet(61 m) off the feeder vessel side. These container cranes 51, 52, 53, 54using state of the art lifting speed and capacity and horizontal travelspeeds can, in one transfer cycle, lift two or more loaded containers 55at a time and rapidly transfer them to or from stowed positions on thefeeders. Cranes 51,52, 53, 54 can be similar to standard gantrycontainer handling cranes, and similar in construction to the cranesshown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,363,411; 4,568,232; and 4,762,456. Cranes51,52, 53, 54 each include crane legs 56, gantries 58 supported on legs56, bracing 57 which interconnects legs 56 and which connects legs 56 togantries 58, and trolley stops 59 to prevent the trolleys 71 fromfalling off of the ends of the gantries 58.

Feeder vessels or barges 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 being shorter and less widethan large container carriers 31, 32 can be berthed on the platform sideopposite the larger vessels 31, 32 in sets (FIG. 2) so that distributionto multiple destinations can be served quickly by loading the feederswith specifically destined containers and dispersing immediately uponcompletion of discharge. Simultaneously, outbound cargo would be broughtto Sea Point™ by separate feeder vessels or barges 41, 42, 43, 44, 45and placed alongside the platform to be transferred to the large vessels31, 32 as soon as the empty feeder is taken away from the dock. It isalso possible to use one vessel/barge as a carrier for export and importtransferred containers.

During loading or discharge at a Sea Point™ transfer platform, outportdestined containers 55 may be landed to one or more transfer cars 61stationed under the crane legs 56 on designated road ways 62 that mayrun in opposite directions so as to distribute such containers 55 tocranes serving feeders for their destinations (FIG. 3). This would beaccomplished by vehicles (such as light tractors 76—see FIG. 7) haulingthese containers on cars or chassis 61 to cranes loading the desiredfeeders, reducing or eliminating any necessity for stacking or groundingcontainers on the platform during cargo operations. The container cranes51, 52, 53, 54 can also be designed to each have two separate cabs andtraveling trolleys 71 that move outward from a center raised transferrack 65; this provides rapid transfer from each side that will speed upthe loading and discharge cycles substantially (see FIG. 3). As shown inFIG. 3, containers 55 can rest on transfer rack 65 while waiting to betransferred between ships 31, 32, and barges 41, 42, 43, 44, or 45.Adjacent transfer rack 65 are openings 66 to allow containers 55 to movefrom the cranes 51, 52, 53, 54 to road ways 62.

The delivery to various port terminals by feeder barges or feedervessels 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 permits each port terminal to be designed todischarge these less costly vessel units 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, direct torail car and truck lanes located along the dockside within the reach ofport cranes' terminal side. Extended landside booms on port cranes canaccomplish this efficiently and provide added opportunity that saveseveral costly terminal handlings and reduces significantly the acreagetraditionally required for each container terminal. The Sea Point™platform apparatus can also be placed so as to provide offloading fromlarge vessels to feeders and to adjacent terminal docks by locating theplatform in water at a distance of about 100 feet (30.5 m) from the landterminal thus allowing one feeder vessel to be berthed between the SeaPoint™ platform and land terminal. The reach (e.g. 200 feet—61 m) of thecrane on each side of the platform would allow transfers between theland terminal, feeder vessels and the large vessel as desired.

The platform apparatus 110 of the third embodiment of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Apparatus 110 includes a platform120 supported by piles 124 imbedded in mud 90. Two container handlinggantry cranes 151 and 152 are shown in FIG. 6. Crane 151 includes agantry 153, a boom crane 141 with lifting hoist, and pedestal type boomcranes 143 and 144 with lifting hoists. Crane 152 includes a gantry 154,a boom crane 142 with lifting hoist, and pedestal type boom cranes 145and 146 with lifting hoists.

The circles in FIG. 6 show the reach of the various cranes. As can beseen in FIG. 6, there are two storage stacks of containers 55 out ofreach of the cranes (these containers 55 can be moved around by lighttractors 76—see FIG. 7), and various stacks of containers 55 are shownwhich can be reached by more than one crane. In FIG. 6, the barges 41,42, 433, and 44 can be partially unloaded onto platform 120 before ship32 arrives to minimize dock time of ship 32.

The platform apparatus 200 of the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Apparatus 200 includes a platform220 on which are mounted two container handling gantry cranes 251 and252. Crane 251 includes a gantry 253, a boom crane 241 with liftinghoist, and telescopic boom cranes 243 and 244 with lifting hoists. Crane252 includes a gantry 254, a boom crane 242 with lifting hoist, andtelescopic boom cranes 245 and 246 with lifting hoists.

The circles in FIG. 8 show the reach of the various cranes. As can beseen in FIG. 8, there are four mobile harbor cranes 231, 232, 233, and234. The containers 55 out of reach of the fixed cranes can be movedaround by light tractors 76—see FIG. 7—or by the mobile harbor cranes231, 232, 233, and 234. FIG. 8 shows a causeway 225 from platform 220 toshore (not shown). This causeway 225 allows platform 220 to be suppliedfrom shore as well as by barge and ship.

The various cranes shown in FIG. 8, the light tractors 76, and cars 61move containers 55 among ship 32, feeder vessels 342 and 344, and barges345 and 346.

In FIG. 8, the barges 345 and 346 can be partially unloaded ontoplatform 220 before ship 32 arrives to have empty slots available forthe ship containers to minimize dock time of ship 32.

In FIG. 8, the gantry trolleys 71 unload above-hatch containers untilthe first hatch is cleared. Hatch covers are removed and cargocontainers are unloaded to the bottom of the cell. Once a cell has beencleared, the cargo operations using trolleys to load and unloadcontainers with each trolley move. The gantry trolleys 71 and the boomcranes 241 and 242 work the ship cargo. The gantry trolleys 71 delivercontainers to the fixed container racks 65. The trolleys 71 may alsoland containers 55 on the shuttle cars 61 or on the platform 220 alongthe ship 32.

The cranes 243, 244, 245, 246 attached to the barge side of the gantries253, 254 load from rack 65 to barges/feeder vessels 342, 344 and back.These cranes may also work to and from the dock transfer areas and theshuttles 61.

The boom cranes 241, 242 unload containers to the shuttle cars 61 or tothe dock transfer areas.

The mobile harbor cranes 231, 232, 233, and 234 are set to work thebarges 345 and 346 and feeder vessels 342 and 344 and stack.

All of the cranes are preferably equipped with anti-collision controls.

The critical matter of road and rail infrastructure required forlandside terminals to accommodate large vessels can take decades todevelop and billions of dollars in cost. Environmental issues may alsointervene. In contrast a Sea Point™ transfer platform can be fabricatedfor erection in appropriate water depth locations in no more than twoyears time and size is unlimited. Ideally, Sea Point™ platforms can alsobe phased in to provide an initial size to handle, for instance, thenext half decade of expected use and then expanded to any greater sizewhen required.

Some embodiments of the present invention combine a gantry crane withone or more rotating boom cranes to increase cargo productivityeconomically.

The addition of one or two boom cranes to the ship side of the gantryallows a substantial increase in cargo productivity with a minimal cost.

Adding one or two boom cranes to the back side of a gantry willsubstantially increase the productivity of the gantry's ship unloadingtrolley. The increased reach of a boom allows terminal operators toefficiently load and unload barges, small feeder ships, trucks (terminalor road) and trains depending upon the terminal design.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a container vessel 720 along a dock 30 with twogantry cranes 410 and 510. Gantry 510 has two ship side boom cranes 11and 12 working to and from transfer areas 13 and 14. Trolley 15 ofgantry 510 works to and from the ship 720 and transfer rack 16. Backboom cranes 17 and 18 of gantry 510 work between transfer rack 16 andthe container storage stack 19. Back boom cranes 17 and 18 also workbetween transfer areas 13 and 14 and the container storage stack 19.Operations of gantry 410 are similar, though as shown gantry 410 has asingle ship side boom crane 112. Like gantry 510, gantry 410 has twoback boom cranes 117 and 118. Trolley 115 and cranes 112, 117, and 118all work with a transfer rack 116.

In some terminals, one might use gantries similar to gantries 510 and410, but without back boom cranes (see gantry 210 in FIG. 11, showingtwo ship side boom cranes 211 and 212). In such a terminal, cargotransferred between vessel 221 and dock 230 might be handled withterminal tractors (not shown). Other vehicles such as AGV's (automatedguided vehicles) and over-the-road approved trucks and trailer chassiscan be used depending upon the terminal operations.

FIG. 11 shows a 9-container wide ship 221 with one gantry 210 configuredwith two ship-side boom cranes 211 and 212. Gantry 210 with two attachedpedestal cranes 211 and 212 working a 9-container wide ship 221 givessimultaneous access to 53 cells versus a standard gantry's access ofonly 9 cells. Two standard gantries working as close as possible to eachother cannot access the ship's bay between them without both cranesgantrying to new positions. The improved gantry 210 with two boom cranes211 and 212 reaches seven adjacent bays without moving the gantry. Asmall terminal using the improved gantry 210 can handle shipsefficiently and allow a more flexible ship stowage plan.

In FIG. 11, the hatched area shows a reach into 53 cells on a 9-wideship 221 using a 100′ (30.5 m) boom reach.

Gantry cranes similar to gantry cranes 510 and 410 might be used on aplatform or finger pier handling cargo between ships (or larger barges)and feeder vessels or barges. In this example the terminal operates as atransfer hub for water born vessels, and the gantry cranes might eachhave a single ship side boom crane and two back boom cranes (the shipside boom cranes could be positioned distant from one another on thegantries).

Gantry cranes 510 and 410 might be used to transfer cargo between a dockand a container vessel along the dock In such a situation, gantry cranes510 and 410 would work between a ship or barge and the storage stack,trucks and trains.

One or more of the boom cranes attached to the gantry cranes of thepresent invention can be horizontal slewing boom cranes (not shown inthe drawings).

The examples mentioned herein show some of the benefits that can beachieved by combining a gantry with a boom crane. The examples do notshow all of the possible applications. Some of the other possiblebenefits are for terminals that specialize in mixed cargo includingcontainers, bulk and break bulk cargoes in bags, pallets, coils etc.

FIGS. 12-17 show an embodiment of the present invention, a boom craneand frame to be attached to a new or existing ship to shore gantry. Thisembodiment of the present invention allows the attachment of a boomcrane to a new or existing gantry without substantially increasing wheelloads of the existing gantry. The boom cranes' stability benefits fromthe attachment. The invention shown in FIGS. 12-17 will allow theaddition of one or two boom cranes to an existing gantry withoutsignificant structural change to the existing gantry and rail system. Aconventional ship-to-shore gantry with one or more attached boom cranesincreases cargo productivity economically and improves the efficiency ofmoving both containerized and non-containerized cargoes between vesselsand land side truck/rail-on-dock transport at terminals. The inventionimproves the transfer of containers or other cargo between ships andfeeder vessels or barges.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a conventional ship-to-shore gantry 310 with twopedestal-type boom cranes 311 and 312 on separate frames 321 and 322attached to the main gantry 310. Other boom cranes such as harborcranes, jib cranes, telescopic and any other crane with a boom can beattached. The crane frames 321 and 322 can be (and preferably are) builtto match the main gantry rail gauge and portal beam clearance. Thewheels 343 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) of the boom crane frames 321 and 322can be freewheeling. Hoist, luffing and sluing power for the attachedcranes 311 and 312 can be provided in several ways. The main gantrypower supply can be sized to provide the additional power needed for theattached cranes 311 and 312. The attached cranes 311 and 312 may alsohave a built in diesel/electric or diesel/hydraulic power system locatedover the back wheels of the crane frames 321 and 322. A separate cablereel or other power conveyance method can be used for the attachedcranes 311 and 312 when power is supplied from a utility or a generatingplant in the port area. A container ship 320 is shown in FIGS. 12 and13. A trolley 315 is best seen in FIG. 12.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show different methods used to attach the crane frames321, 322 to the main gantry 310. The attachment points can be built onboth sides of the frame 321, 322 (FIG. 15) and on the main gantry 310thereby allowing a crane to be moved and attached to either side of agantry 310. The design will be engineered to distribute the attachedcrane weight to the separate crane frame wheels 343 without addingsignificant weight to the main gantry wheels 353. The number of wheelsfor the crane frame 321, 322 can be designed to keep the wheel weightswithin the rail design limits of the facility. The attachment points onthe main gantry 310 are located to provide crane stability in the“East/West” direction along the dock 330. The “North/South” cranestability results from the separate crane frame. A structural analysisof the existing gantry and the dynamic forces of the operations willdetermine the best points for the attachment.

FIG. 14 shows the preferred location of slip pins 344 and fixed pins anda detail of a slip pin.

The braces should be engineered to be as high as possible for cranestability. In FIG. 15, attachment points 361 are provided on frame 441for opposite side installation. In FIG. 15, a rope luffing jib crane 411replaces the hydraulic ram luffing crane 311 of FIGS. 12-14. Also, theseparation of frame 441 from gantry 310 is greater than the separationof frame 322 from gantry 310 to give added stability and reach to crane411.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show the modified gantry 310 positioned over twostandard hopper barges 420, 520. For barge and similar operations wherethe vessel(s) being loaded are without ballast and trim pumps, themodified gantries 310 are substantially more productive because thebarge trim can be maintained during operations without gantrying up anddown the length of the barge. Hopper barges 420, 520 can be 35 feet(10.7 m) wide and 195 feet (59.4 m) long, for example.

FIG. 17 shows a rail-on-dock operation 430. The boom crane 311 providesbetter reach to temporary stacks, trucks and train. The improved reachgives a terminal operator added flexibility to plan rail-on-dockoperations efficiently.

In FIG. 17, a temporary storage stack 419 is indicated below the trucklanes 428. Three trucks 424, 426, and 427 are on the truck lanes 428.Railroad cars 461 or other like container-carrying means are on track462.

The present invention has particular utility in the systems and methodsdisclosed in International Publication No. WO 01/42125 A1, which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show Sea Point System Components of another embodimentof the present invention.

Platform

Deck 601

MPC (multi-purpose container) Island 602

Deck Extensions 603

Causeway 604

Causeway truck turn-around 605

Mooring Dolphins 606

Lift Equipment

Over the Ocean vessel

-   -   Gantry crane(s) with trolley's and hatch storage 607    -   Sea Point gantry crane(s) (trolley gantry cranes with one or two        “boom” cranes attached and hatch storage 608    -   Harbor crane(s) fixed or mobile 609. The harbor cranes operate        over the ship or barges.    -   CBW type “boom” crane(s) mounted on separate gantry frames with        hatch storage 610.

Over the Barges

-   -   MPC cranes with horizontal slewing booms. 611    -   Harbor cranes fixed or mobile 609

Horizontal Conveyance Equipment

Bi-directional draw bar multi-trailers 612 and yard tractors 613 withautomatic hitches.

Miscellaneous

Container scanning equipment 614

Fixed Barge shift equipment (winches and sliders) 615

Push boats 616

Facility Operating System

Software

Control and monitoring hardware

The use of a bi-directional drawbar double trailer (multi-trailer) 612with an automatic hitch improves the present invention's operatingflexibility, reduces labor, reduces vehicle traffic and supports cargooperations at the platform extension 603.

The bi-directional trailer allows a tractor 613 to pull into a narrowplatform extension (about 50′ wide) 603. The truck without trailer canthen make a U-turn and the trailer can be pulled out from the otherdrawbar on the opposite end. This system can be used in several areas ofthe platform to create additional barge docking locations where thebarges can be shifted independently of the other barges. A single MPCbarge crane 611 on a 50′ wide platform extension 603 can reach fourbarges and at least two trailers. The ability to rapidly shift stringsor sets of barges independently of each other without interrupting theMPC cranes' cargo operations of the remaining barges is essential toservice the largest ship loads without slowing the facility'sproductivity.

A separate MPC platform island 602 and mooring points 606 for the outerlane of barges gives each MPC 611 crane the ability to reach every cellin four barges and two trailer lanes on the main platform 601. Thebarges in each of the four lanes can be shifted without interrupting thecargo operations to the three remaining barge lanes.

PARTS LIST

The following is a list of parts suitable for use in the presentinvention:

-   10 platform apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention-   11 ship side boom cranes-   12 ship side boom cranes-   13 transfer area-   14 transfer area-   15 trolley-   16 transfer rack-   17 back boom crane-   18 back boom crane-   19 container storage stack-   20 platform structure of platform apparatus 10 and 100-   21 jack-up module-   22 jack-up module-   23 jack-up module-   24 spud legs-   30 dock-   31 ocean-going vessel-   32 ocean-going vessel-   41 barge going to port C-   42 barge going to port A-   43 barge going to port B-   44 barge going to port A-   45 barge going to port D-   51 container handling crane-   52 container handling crane-   53 container handling crane-   54 container handling crane-   55 loaded containers-   56 crane legs-   57 bracing-   58 gantries-   59 trolley stops-   61 transfer cars-   62 road ways-   65 transfer rack of platform apparatus 100-   66 openings adjacent rack 65-   71 cabs and traveling trolleys-   75 helicopter pad (heliport)-   76 yard tractor-   80 water-   81 water line-   90 mud-   91 mud line-   100 platform apparatus of the second embodiment of the present    invention-   110 platform apparatus of the third embodiment of the present    invention-   112 ship side boom crane-   115 trolley-   116 transfer rack-   117 back boom crane-   118 back boom crane-   120 platform-   124 piles for platform 120-   141 boom crane with lifting hoist-   142 boom crane with lifting hoist-   143 pedestal type boom crane with lifting hoist-   144 pedestal type boom crane with lifting hoist-   145 pedestal type boom crane with lifting hoist-   146 pedestal type boom crane with lifting hoist-   151 container handling crane-   152 container handling crane-   153 gantry of crane 151-   154 gantry of crane 152-   200 platform apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present    invention-   210 gantry-   211 ship side boom crane-   212 ship side boom crane-   221 vessel-   220 platform-   225 causeway from platform 220 to shore-   230 dock-   231 mobile harbor crane-   232 mobile harbor crane-   233 mobile harbor crane-   234 mobile harbor crane-   241 boom crane with lifting hoist-   242 boom crane with lifting hoist-   243 telescopic boom crane with lifting hoist-   244 telescopic boom crane with lifting hoist-   245 telescopic boom crane with lifting hoist-   246 telescopic boom crane with lifting hoist-   251 container handling crane-   252 container handling crane-   253 gantry of crane 251-   254 gantry of crane 252-   310 conventional ship-to-shore gantry-   311 pedestal-type boom crane-   312 pedestal-type boom crane-   315 trolley-   320 container ship-   321 frame-   322 frame-   330 dock-   341 slip pins-   342 feeder vessel-   343 wheels-   344 feeder vessel-   345 barge-   346 barge-   353 main gantry wheels-   361 attachment points-   410 gantry crane-   411 rope luffing jib crane-   419 temporary storage stack-   420 standard hopper barges-   424 truck-   426 truck-   427 truck-   428 truck lanes-   430 rail-on-dock operation-   441 frame-   461 railroad cars-   462 track-   510 gantry crane-   520 standard hopper barges-   601 deck-   602 MPC island-   603 deck extensions-   604 causeway-   605 causeway truck turn-around-   606 mooring dolphins-   607 gantry crane with trolleys and hatch storage-   608 Sea Point gantry crane (trolley gantry cranes with one or two    “boom” cranes attached and hatch storage)-   609 Harbor crane, fixed or mobile-   610 CBW type “boom” crane mounted on separate gantry frames with    hatch storage-   611 MPC cranes with horizontal slewing booms-   612 bi-directional draw bar multi-trailers-   613 yard tractors with automatic hitches-   614 container scanning equipment-   615 fixed barge shift equipment (winches and sliders)-   616 push boats-   720 container vessel

In all plan views, the circles and partial circles show the maximumoutreach of the boom crane whose base is at the center of the partialcircle.

Various features have been shown in various figures herein. Featureappearing in one figure can be used with apparatus in other figures. Forexample, though jack-up legs are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and pilings areshown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the platform in FIGS. 1 and 3 can be supportedby pilings and the platform in FIGS. 5 and 7 can be supported by jack-uplegs. Likewise, cranes appearing in one figure can be used with theapparatus shown in other figures. Also, various features shown in thevarious patents cited herein can be incorporated into the apparatus ofthe present invention.

More information about the invention can be found in the papers attachedto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/394,988, filed 10 Jul.2002.

Any suitable materials, such as steel, can be used to construct theapparatus of the present invention. For example, reinforced concrete canbe used for the platform deck.

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature andpressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise.

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; thescope of the present invention is to be limited only by the followingclaims.

1. A method of transporting goods, comprising: providing a platform;providing cranes on the platform; providing bi-directional draw barmulti-trailers for receiving containers from the cranes and deliveringcontainers to the cranes; providing yard tractors with automatic hitchesfor moving the trailers; transferring goods between an ocean-goingvessel and the trailers and barges or other shallower-draft feedervessels using the cranes on the platform to unload the ocean-goingvessel by transferring its containers to the trailers and the barges orother shallower-draft feeder vessels and vice versa; using the yardtractors with automatic hitches to move the trailers. 2-73. (canceled)74. A system for transshipping containerized cargo, comprising: atransshipping platform; a plurality of cranes on the transshippingplatform for transferring goods between an ocean-going vessel and abarge or other shallower-draft feeder vessel using the cranes on thetransshipping platform, the cranes including a gantry crane withtrolleys and hatch storage; bi-directional draw bar multi-trailers forreceiving containers from the cranes and delivering containers to thecranes; and yard tractors with automatic hitches for moving thetrailers.
 75. A method of transporting goods, comprising: providing thesystem of claim 74; transferring goods between an ocean-going vessel andbarges or other shallower-draft feeder vessels using the cranes tounload the ocean-going vessel by transferring its containers to thetrailers and then to the barges or other shallower-draft feeder vessels,and vice versa.
 76. The method of claim 75, further comprising using theyard tractors with automatic hitches to move the trailers.
 77. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the platform is a jack-up barge.
 78. A methodof transferring containers from a ship to barges positioned nearby,comprising: providing a gantry crane on a gantry crane platform;providing a plurality of cranes on a multi-purpose container platformnear the gantry crane platform; positioning the ship near the gantrycrane platform and the multi-purpose container platform; positioning thebarges near the gantry crane platform and the multi-purpose containerplatform; selecting containers from the ship in the optimal order fordirect placement into the barges positioned nearby; and using the cranesto move the containers from the ships to the barges.
 79. The method ofclaim 78, wherein the order of the containers is selected using adynamic system that continuously measures actual conditions such asequipment slow downs, breakdowns or resource overloads that are creatingtemporary system bottlenecks and directs the equipment to optimizeoperations by adjusting the next best pick for the container to beselected.
 80. The method of claim 79, wherein the dynamic systemevaluates container dimensions, weight, type, hazardous cargo, oversizeand reefer containers during the sorting into the individual barges. 81.The method of claim 79, wherein the dynamic system sorts containers intothe correct destination barge while maintaining the barge trim andbalance.
 82. The method of claim 79, wherein the dynamic system sortscontainers by train destination for placement in barges destined fordirect discharge to a wharf with a rail on dock facility.
 83. The methodof claim 82, wherein the dynamic system puts a number of containers in atemporary stack within reach of a crane to facilitate train destinationblock sorting.